I can tell winter is starting to take its toll on me. Come February each year, I get itchy for spring in a pretty bad way. Maybe it's because I don't like to be outside in cold weather, so I need a warm-up to get myself back outside. Get some fresh air. And sunlight.

This winter has been especially nasty with viruses. After going gluten-free and dairy-free and grain-free, our immune systems handle viruses more quickly and efficiently. But this winter has given at least one member in our family the flu, a stomach bug, and respiratory infections -- all just in one month. Top all that off with unusually achy joints -- like I've been consuming dairy. What gives, huh?

So yes, fresh spring air could not come more quickly to this northern Indiana girl.

Because I get down in the doldrums this time of year, tasks like recipe-making and blogging get put on the back burner. I just don't have the energy or the mental desire to do it. That explains why it's been darn near a month since I posted last! Yikes!

In an attempt to pull myself out of this winter funk, I got my rear-end in the kitchen a couple of days ago, made a new recipe and am pushing myself to blog about it. To get back in the swing of things. Pull myself up, dust myself off and actually do something. It does seem to help!

So as usual, my kids' school had a Valentine's Day party. I have no problem with that, but I'm shocked by the quantity of candy my kids received with their valentines. No joke, Big C came home with a bag full of candy that easily rivaled an hour out trick-or-treating. Suckers, cookies, candies, chocolates, chocolate bars, pencils, erasers, stickers, tattoos. Maybe I'm desperately old-fashioned, but I remember valentines consisting of folded papers with little sayings being shoved into a homemade box. If you got a pencil, eraser or Hershey kiss, you were in major luck.

My kids' bags were just one more reminder to me of how people have lost the art of keeping it simple.

Since I knew my children would be given a bunch of candy they would not be able to eat, I wanted to create a special paleo treat for them to enjoy. Big C had been talking about snickerdoodles, so that stuck in my mind when I decided to make cookies. Stranded without chocolate chips, Snickerdoodles seemed like a good choice.

These cookies are sweet and chewy with a lovely hint of cinnamon. They will be more cake-y the same day out of the oven and will become more chewy after refrigeration. Either way, they're good.

In a medium bowl, melt palm shortening in microwave. Add honey, egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until combined and smooth. Allow to sit for about a minute before spooning onto baking sheet to allow coconut flour to soak up moisture.

Spoon onto baking sheet and slightly press down to flatten (cookies will also spread some as they bake). Be sure to leave a couple of inches between each cookie. Lightly sprinkle the tops with cinnamon.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie (larger cookies will take about 15 minutes). Cookies are done when tops and edges are lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy now or refrigerate.